The study that could put statin makers out of business

The English certainly don’t beat around the bush — especially when it comes to health.

And I trained in London — so you’d better believe I learned not to waste money or resources. When you have a finite budget to work with, finding cost-effective ways to manage public health crises becomes a guiding principal of your medical practice.

Needless to say, that logic doesn’t apply to the profit-driven U.S. health care system. So I love it when I see studies like the one I’m about to share with you. Because it’s further proof that there is a better way to do things.

In this case, I’m talking about the bogus war on cholesterol. It’s a worldwide witch hunt, and at least one group of researchers wants the British government to opt out of it once and for all. And they make quite a compelling case for it, too.

After reviewing 30 different studies featuring 68,094 subjects, they assert cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease in the elderly. Which means that using costly and side effect-laden statin drugs to ward of cardiovascular problems is a waste of time and money.

And I’m thrilled that, for once, I’m not the only one saying it.

But my glee doesn’t end there. Because get this: This detailed review also found that, for 92 percent of the nearly 70,000 people included in the study, higher levels of LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad” kind) were linked with lower rates of mortality.

Not only did this study find no connection between so-called “bad” cholesterol and early heart disease death in people over 60… It also found that the vast majority of people with higher cholesterol levels actually lived longer.

If that’s not enough to expose the shaky foundation of the modern statin industry, I don’t know what is.

Of course, the authors of this study are well aware of the controversy their results are likely to stir. But they stand by their conclusion. And they’re asking current heart disease guidelines to be re-evaluated in response, because as they put it, “the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated.”

It’s absolute music to my ears.

But just as we could have expected, the slings and arrows have already begun — with “experts” swiftly denying the validity of these findings at every opportunity. (You didn’t think they’d admit to making an enormous, deadly, decades-long mistake that easily, did you?)

So I still feel like it’s my duty to keep hammering home the truth, before statins claim any more needless victims.

The fact is, cholesterol isn’t the enemy. It’s one of the most vital molecules in the body — and you need an adequate supply to stay healthy. It’s necessary for hormone generation and it helps to prevent infection, cancer, muscle pain, and other conditions.

If the government truly wanted to safeguard public health, it would focus on what’s really important — encouraging people to change their lifestyles with smart, simple diet and exercise strategies.

But in typical American fashion, we just write prescriptions instead… and let patients continue to lead unhealthy lives. Because, whatever your problem, there’s a (very expensive) pill for that. One that’s just as likely to make you miserable — or worse, kill you — as it is to keep you alive.